The One Impossible Quest
by Songwind
Summary: Why is it that Sain is, at the best of times, considered a "scoundrel"? Why is it that his closest companions regard him with at least a small amount of exasperation? Is he really just a "gallant knight", or is there something else going on?


The One Impossible Quest

By: Songwind

Notes- I believe there are more levels to Sain than people tend to write about. He's known to everyone, including his closest companion, Kent, as a womanizer and a scoundrel. But of course, to himself he's the hero of the story. Why not indulge him a little in that thought?

Disclaimer- I don't own Sain, or anyone or anything related to Fire Emblem. However, I do own my version of the tactician, Julian.

Warning- Depending upon how you think of Sain, this version of him will be a little/very OOC to you. However, I just wanted to explore this idea of him. If you don't like it, leave. Thanks.

Chapter One- It Begins

"Sain! You, there! Wake up!"

"Aghuh… huh?"

I open my eyes, trying to remember where I am and what I'm doing there. At first, said eyes refuse to focus, so I'm forced to deal with staring at a big, green blob that's standing at the foot of my bed, wielding some sort of spear.

Spear… snort, haha…

…Sorry.

Anyway, the green blob is apparently very impatient because it pokes me in the chest with the butt of the spear. "You lout, wake up! The Marquess wishes to speak with you!"

"Me? Marquess?" I croak, touching my throat and wincing at the sudden onslaught of a hangover. "Owwww…"

"Hmm…?"

I blink at the moving figure next to me, and suddenly remember where I am. _That's right, the innkeeper…_

I blink again, then gape as I realize my situation at last. I happen to be sitting in the bed of an innkeeper, with said innkeeper beside me. She's still asleep, we're both naked, and one of my superiors is standing at the foot of said bed glaring at the both of us.

With that, I jump out of bed and begin to pull on my clothes, then hesitate at the armor.

"No time!" my superior commands. "Get your ass out there now!"

"Yeah, yeah," I mutter.

"What?!"

"I said yes, sir!" I replied quickly, dodging another poke from the spear. "Coming, sir!"

"Sain, my love…?"

I turn to see the innkeeper- what was her name?- look at me sleepily. I rack my brain, trying both to figure out her name and what sort of nonsense I had told her the night before.

"Uh, my lovely, um, flower! I'll… call on you later!" I say, leaping out the door into the main hall of the inn as my superior aims the pointy part of the spear at me.

"Sain!?"

I hurry down the dimly lit hall, and absently note the usage of candles still burning from the night before. "Why on earth does the Marquess want me at this hour?!" I ask.

"Maybe you'll find out if you hurried," my superior says.

"Yes, sir." I quicken my pace, not knowing exactly what he would do with that spear if I didn't do as he "asked." I reach one hand up to my head, moaning softly as we head out into the cool, morning air. "Uh, sir, might I get some tea before we-"

"There's a perfectly good, cold fountain over there," my superior remarked, pointing in the direction of the market square. "You can make yourself presentable there." He shook his head, muttering, "Why on earth would the Marquess ask for you, I wonder…?"

"Because I'm good at socializing?" I ask.

He smacks me across the back of my head, and for a minute all I can see are stars. I sway from foot to foot, moaning. "You're good at women, and drinking, that's for sure! You keep this behavior up any longer and you'll get worse than a wake-up call next time, you hear me?" he demands.

"Yes, sir…" I wince at that, and continue to walk quickly as possible towards the fountain.

Once there, I check the water with a finger and flinch; it's colder than ice, if that's possible. I glance at my superior for any hope of mercy, but all he does is gesture towards it.

Sighing, I bite my lip, close my eyes, and dunk my head into the fountain.

I leap back a minute later, my head pounding and my lungs gasping for air from the cold. Then I shake my head and try to brush out the wet droplets while keeping them from falling onto the back of my shirt; gods, I hate that feeling!

My superior tosses me a cloth to dry my hair with as we continue to walk, and says suddenly, "You got your boots on the wrong way, soldier."

I blink and look down. Well, that would explain why it was so hard to walk. "I request a moment to fix that, sir," I say.

He gestures impatiently. I use the precious time given to switch boots, feeling immensely better about that, and to try to make my hair slightly more presentable.

My superior looks over me, then nods abruptly. "You'll do. Now move!"

I move.

It only takes a few more minutes for us to reach the castle in the near-darkness of false dawn. Then it only takes a few more to enter the castle and head towards the throne room.

There, the Marquess sat looking much more harried than usual. Unfortunately, he also looked wide awake, the exact opposite of me, which grated slightly on my raw nerves. Next to him sat his younger brother, Lord Lundgren, and on the other side is a too-perky young woman; possibly a noble lady passing through.

I give her one of my winning smiles, earning a roll of the eyes in return. I decide to ignore her; she's probably been warned about me, but that's no great loss. Then I look up at the Marquess for a moment before kneeling.

Ouch. My head is pounding again, and it takes a long, awkward moment for me to gasp out, "Cavalier Sain here as per your request, my lord."

The Marquess of Caelin looks me over much like my superior did. He takes a long time of it, noting my damp hair, my wrinkled clothes, and that peculiar smell about a man that happens when he hasn't bathed in a few days and has also-

-well, I gather one would know what I mean.

I wait patiently.

Finally, he says, "I know that the past still hurts, Cavalier, but surely you have grown enough to accept the past as past and to want to care for yourself?"  
  
"I care myself as I can, milord," I reply, flinching at the reference to "the past". Really, did everyone need to bring that up?

He sighs. "Yes, well, at least you're here. Thank you, Paladin Ordren."

My superior salutes, gives me a slightly less disgusted look than before, and departs.

I wait again.

The Marquess pulls out a paper from nowhere and waves it at me. "Do you know what this is, Cavalier?"

I blink. "It looks like a letter, milord," I say cautiously.

He nods. "It's a letter from my daughter, the lady Madelyn."

Is it me, or did milord Lundgren suddenly gain a very nasty expression?

No, no, it's gone. I return my attention to the Marquess of Caelin.

"The lady Madelyn?" I repeat.

"Yes. She says she has married and has a daughter of 18 years, and they live happily upon the plains of Sacae."

"Um…" What am I supposed to say to that? "That's… very nice to hear, milord."

"It is, isn't it? To think I have a granddaughter. And to think that Madelyn named her after my dear, departed wife, Lyndis…"

No, Lundgren's face definitely twisted into a nasty expression. Best not to look at him, lest I ask him what's bothering him. Something tells me I should already know, but my head is too busy throbbing to work properly. Instead, I smile and nod at my Marquess.

"What would you have me do, milord?" I ask after a moment. "Surely you did not bring me here merely for this announcement."

Milord Marquess looks at me wryly. "You're thinking clearly for a man who's been drunk the past two days."

I flush at that.

He smiles and lets the matter go, thankfully. "If you can manage to leave behind your… activities for a time, I would command you and one other Cavalier to reach the Plains of Sacae and find my family. Then have them brought here so that I may reconcile with my daughter and son-in-law."

I nod, bowing my head from my kneeling position. Thankfully it doesn't hurt so much this time. "It shall be as you command, milord. Who shall this other Cavalier be?"

"That would be me," said a voice from behind me.

I jump and turn around without meaning to- after all, it is considered an insult to turn one's back to the Marquess unless a few feet from him- and stare at my partner-to-be.

"You're not serious," I croak, my voice leaving me once again.

The other Cavalier gave me a look of disdain. "Cavalier Sain. I believe I've worked with you before, though I recall you being much more… mannerly."

I manage to nod, though I frown at his "recollection". "Cavalier Kent. I do remember you. A… pleasure."

"Well, I would wish for you to take leave immediately and find my family so that I may rejoice," the Marquess says, a smile lighting up his old, weathered face. For a moment, he is not at all exhausted, not at all weary of the daily needs a Marquess had to attend to; he was simply a man ready to meet with his family.

Kent kneels beside me, and I hurry to follow suit. "We shall find your family, milord," my fellow Cavalier says formally. "We shall leave within the candle mark."

"We will?" I protest.

He gives me a sharp look. "We will," he repeats.

"Do so. May the gods look upon your quest favorably, Cavaliers," the Marquess intones.

He suddenly starts to cough, doubling over in his throne. I glance over at Lundgren, who does not even look at his older brother. Yes, the man has a very ugly smirk on his face.

"Get that tonic for my dear brother," he says mildly.

The perky lady near milord tries to comfort the Marquess while servants rush to obey. She looks worried, especially so as the Marquess coughs up blood onto his handkerchief.

"Let us leave, Sain," Kent says, grabbing my arm. He begins to drag me back the way we'd come.

"Hey-!"

The last view I had of milord was of him pale, weak, with blood on his kerchief.

The last view I had of Lord Lundgren was of him healthy, younger, with that cruel, triumphant smirk on his face.

I can't help but think that something was very, very wrong with that picture.

So begins Sain's adventure. Whoo boy.

Please keep in mind that this does NOT happen in the game. This is merely my interpretation of what could have happened. Thanks, and stay tuned for next time! (waves)


End file.
